


Sweetheart

by mattaretto



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-31 04:53:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17842841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mattaretto/pseuds/mattaretto
Summary: Steve finally gets Bucky out of the compound, and he helps out with at the local book sale where he gets to meet the cute woman behind the sales.





	Sweetheart

“Buck, you need to get out. Look, I’m helping set up for the library book sale today, you should join me. There’s never a lot of people, the woman who runs the sale brings food for everyone for lunch. At least say you’ll go for set up? I won’t make you go to take down.” Steve said and he sighed, leaning his head back in exasperation. 

“Only if it gets you to shut up,” Bucky grumbled, looking back at Steve. He was grinning widely, and Bucky knew he was proud of him for going out. Except he didn’t want to, he just wanted him to stop. To stop bugging him. He knew it was with good intentions, but God did it get annoying. 

An hour later he was entering the library, jacket covering his arm and gloves covering his hands. Steve must come often because the people didn’t respond to him like they do when the two of them go out in public. Everyone just carried on with their day, some waving and others nodding their head. 

Bucky knew that everyone knew who he was, it had been awhile since the accords, everyone knew who he was. And as he walked just a few steps behind Steve, he could hear the people whispering as he passed. He pretended that his super hearing didn’t allow him to hear what they were saying, he pretended he couldn’t see the way Steve clenched and unclenched his hand. 

They walked to a set of large, glass double doors. Peering in Bucky could see rows of tables set up, dividers between the tables pushed against each other, and boxes upon boxes sitting on the tables. From where he was he could make out the scribbles of numbers, crossed out and rewritten. Steve tried the door handle, finding it was locked, but immediately there was a voice from inside. 

“The book sale isn’t ‘till Friday!” A woman shouted and Steve chuckled. 

“I know, I’m here to help, brought a friend.” Bucky stiffened, he knew he would have to deal with people, but he wasn’t fully prepared too. The door opened and he could barely make out the figure of a woman over Steve’s shoulder. 

“Steve! I’m so glad you could make it! Everyone else bailed and I’ve been setting up all on my own.” Arms wrapped around Steve’s neck and Steve was hugging back. They stepped back from each other and Bucky finally get a look at her. He suddenly felt like a 16 year-old-boy again looking at her. She smiled brightly, her eyes shining, and the sweat on her skin caused the baby hairs to stick to her forehead. Despite her being flushed and looking exhausted, Bucky still thought she looked absolutely beautiful.

“You’ve moved all those boxes on your own? Sweetheart, you should have waited for me to come, that’s a lot of work.” Sweetheart, there’s that word. Such a simple word holds so much meaning and deflated any hope he had. 

“I can’t be here tomorrow and the sale’s Friday, it needs to be done today. You said you brought a friend?” She looked at Bucky, smiling widely, and he swore his heart stopped, “I’m (Y/N)! Thank you so much for coming to help. It’ll go by so much faster if you’re as strong as Stevie here.” She grinned and led the two in the auditorium. A few tables set in the corner, in what Bucky was sure would end up being the checkout, had some snacks on it. 

“Steve, you already know what to do, so can you unpack the sci-fi? We’ve got enough for the entire row.” Steve groaned and she flashed puppy-dog eyes at him, and Bucky felt his heart melt.

“Yea, yea, whatever, sweetheart.” There was that word again, the one that made his heart clench. Steve wandered off the other side of the auditorium, pushing some boxes aside, grabbing a flat and beginning to unpack. Bucky watched for a moment, his attention turning back to her when she spoke. 

“Alright, so the way this works is pretty simple. Each box is marked for a different genre. Steve is working on sci-fi, that’s 9. The beginnings and ends of each section go into flats, the rest can be free standing. Three rows fit per table, with a few fillers between two of the rows.” She pointed as she spoke, “Now each section begins and ends at certain spots, extra books go into flats that will be put under tables so they can be pulled up during the sale. Got all that?” She turned back to him and he stayed silent for a moment. 

“Yea, I think so.” 

“Awesome. I want you to start in young adult, over in the far corner. It goes out to the left under the stage. Stops bout quarter the way through, it curves so have fun with that. After those is the paperback fiction. Goes the rest of the way down the table. I’ll be working on the children’s section if you need anything.” With that, she walked off to the table next to the door. She pulled up a flat, opened a box and packed it within seconds. 

“Gotta stop starin’, Buck,” Steve muttered, only loud enough for Bucky’s super hearing to catch on. Bucky flicked his friend as he walked by. 

“Wasn’t starin’.” He grumbled, grabbing a flat off a table he passed. 

“Sure you weren’t,” Steve laughed quietly, finished his second flat and placing them at the ends of the tables so that he could start to do the rest. Bucky opened the first box and audibly groaned when he saw the number of books in it. 

“Complaining isn’t going to make it go faster. Get to it, or get out.” Bucky whipped around, seeing that she was still setting up books. Steve snickered and Bucky made a motion to throw the book at him, “Oh, and this room amplifies everything.” Bucky turned red and looked back to his books, beginning to unpack them. 

Two hours later they were finished, and Bucky had never been so happy yet so upset at the same time. She walked back into the room, smiling at him despite the fact he no longer wore his jacket or gloves, his metal arm on full display. She looked over to the far end of the room, where the stage was and Bucky had been working for a while trying to figure out how to stack the books. 

“No, I know that look. Whatever it is, don’t.” Steve said suddenly, raising a hand to point at her quickly. 

“We’ve got too many young adults, as much as it kills me. We should extend the young adult out to the other side of the stage, leave a table of paperback fiction. I hate to take apart your brilliant work Buck,” He couldn’t help but smile at the way she said his name so sweetly, “But you did such a good job the first time, think you can take down all the paperback fiction and bring up more young adult? Leave the far left table with paperback fiction, please?” He sighed and dropped his head down, not wanting to redo everything, but glad he got to stay longer, “We can have lunch, first, the pizza just finished warming up.”

“Lunch then we’ll take care of it, sweetheart,” Steve answered, walking by her to go to the table where the pizzas had been placed. 

“C’mon, we have cheese and supreme.” She grabbed his wrist- his metal wrist- and lead him to the tables. She let go of his wrist to grab a slice of pizza, taking a seat beside the table. He grabbed a slice of cheese pizza, watching as Steve took the seat beside her and propped a foot up on his chair, and she placed her feet on his lap. 

He didn't want to stare, but he couldn't help it. The two chatted slightly, Steve placing his hand on her leg as they did. He was leaning against one of the tables, not realizing how he had been zoned out as he absent-mindedly ate his pizza.

“Are you okay, Buck?” She was in front of him now, worry drawn on her face and a hand placed lightly on his shoulder. Steve was sitting still, watching closely to make sure he hadn't had a flashback. 

“Yeah, I'm fine, just spaced out for a minute there.” He smiled slightly, and she smiled back.

“I’ll say, it looked like you were trying to decode the unknown writing on the Rosetta Stone.” 

“You sure you're okay, Buck?” Steve asked, standing and moving so that he stood behind her. 

“Yea, yea, I'm good.” He muttered, casting his gaze down to his feet for a second before looking back up, they had moved again and were sitting on their chairs. He knew Steve walked silently to the point even his super hearing couldn't catch it but was surprised to find out she could as well, “So, when’d you two start seeing each other, and why didn't you mention it, Steve?” The pair looked at Bucky, then to each other before bursting out in laughter.

“We’re not dating, Buck, I'm not even her type,” Steve said after laughing.

“You call her sweetheart.” 

Steve shrugged, “In a platonic way sure, she's like a sister to me.”

“Trust me, he's definitely not my type.” She reached to grab more pizza, leaning back in her chair after.

Bucky paused for a second, slightly afraid of the answer if he asked, “Then what is your type?”

“Long haired brunets,” She said with a smirk, taking a bite from her pizza.

Bucky couldn't help but grin, “That so?” she nodded, not once taking her eyes off him, “How about dinner after we finish up this?”

“I like the sound of that.”


End file.
